The Five Knights of Zion
by Sagitta
Summary: An AU fantasy in which Ernest is the isolated prince and Gareas the Knight on a Quest to protect Zion from the Victims. When chance makes their fates collide, can they save GOA together? Warnings: Yaoi (G/E, H/Z), fluff, sap, OOC


Knights of Zion  
  
By Sagitta  
  
A/N: My first MK fantasy! ^_^ Mostly fluff and humor, and Garu/Ernest, Hiead/Zero. Don't where I'm going with this (no, I never know anything).  
  
  
  
1 Chapter One: The Runaway Prince  
  
  
  
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away. . . .  
  
Ernest sighed and gently placed down the hefty book, listlessly fingering a golden lock of hair. He already knew what would happen; everything in the book would turn out so perfect, with the damsel falling in love with the knight, the knight destroying the evil sorcerer, and the kingdom being saved. . .  
  
If only he could become one of those characters in the book; even they were freer than he was, trapped in the prison called the Goddess Palace. How very hypocritical, when the Goddesses had abandoned the palace four millennia ago.  
  
There was a knock on the door, and Luhma Klein, his tabby cat, vaulted from her perch on the bookcase to underneath his bed. The Queen hated cats with a passion, something Ernest never would understand and would always be grateful for that he did not inherit her distaste. To his surprise, it was his younger brother, Erts.  
  
Erts was wearing a new suit, a beautiful silk blue blouse with shimmering sleeves. Ernest bit his lip and turned away, knowing that his mother the Queen would of course buy her favorite something while ignoring him. Erts didn't notice the uneasiness with the childish nature of a twelve- year-old. "Ernest! Guess what?" He literally bounced over to where Ernest sat.  
  
Ernest smiled, never able to resist his younger brother despite his envy. "Yes, Erts?"  
  
"We're having the Golden Jubilee in two weeks! Mother finally decided to hold it!" Erts's eyes were alight in anticipation. "Prince Rei and Prince Hiead are both coming over. . .can you believe it?!"  
  
The Golden Jubilee. That means. . .oh dear Goddess, Mother means for me to get married! Ernest felt a cold chill sweep over him like a phantom, but he forced a smile to unwilling lips. "Th-that's wonderful, Erts. . ."  
  
Erts was almost as good an empathic as he was. "What's wrong, brother?"  
  
"What? Oh nothing. . .but I must go speak to the Queen of this," Ernest murmured. On cue Luhma crawled out from under the bed, purring and begging to be held. Erts squealed in delight and buried his face in her soft fur, as she turned to Ernest with a smirk on her face. Traitor, Ernest thought.  
  
He turned to leave hurriedly out the door, head ringing with thoughts of the Golden Jubilee and the Queen's absurd motives.  
  
~*~  
  
Meanwhile, in the Queen's attendance room. . .  
  
"Do you think it really was a good idea?" The Queen paced the length of the room, her fingers nimbly folding and unfolding her handkerchief. Her expression was vexed. "I don't like doing this to Ernest, however much he's a bastard and not my real son. . ."  
  
"My Queen, you do want your Erts to take the throne, don't you?" the advisor smiled craftily at her, his voice smooth and oiled. "You can't reveal to the public that he's a bastard, or you'll bring the Royal Family too much shame. You can't kill him, because that would make you even more upset. No, the best way's to marry him off to some enterprising lord or noble, so he can't bear children and be a threat to Prince Erts."  
  
"Yes, you're quite right," the Queen muttered. She suddenly whirled around to face him. "But do you think any lord *would* want to marry him? He's a boy, and he can't give any heirs. . ."  
  
"That's the genius of the Golden Jubilee," the silky tongue whispered. "Give a challenge that no noble or honorable knight can resist for him. They don't necessarily have to want to marry him, but the chance of a quest. . ."  
  
"The Victims! Of course!" The Queen snapped her fingers, and for a moment looked positively delighted with herself. But then she considered what she said and her shoulders slumped. "It's too hard. So many knights have tried and failed, their bodies eaten by the treacherous beasts. . .What makes you think that anyone can ever come back from such a quest?"  
  
"The Five Swords of the Goddess. Give one of them to a champion. . ."  
  
"We all know that the Swords are fake."  
  
"So? Betroth him first, before your Champion leaves...then once he's gone, he's likely not to come back, but everyone will still think he's on the Quest and still alive because of the Sword. And Ernest can't become the King once betrothed off."  
  
A smile found its way to the Queen's lips. "A joust then. To find my Champion, and give him a Sword of the Goddess. Then let him try to drive the Victims from my borders, and perhaps the other borders too."  
  
"What's this, Mother?" Ernest suddenly appeared at the doorway. His face was white and ashen. "You mean to marry me off to some knight?"  
  
"Ernest, love. . ." the Queen tried to smile, flustered, at him. "It's for the good of the kingdom. Your hand in marriage to the one who drives away the Victims. Don't worry; it's sure to be some handsome knight who –"  
  
"No!" Ernest backed away as she offered him a hand. "No! I – I *refuse* to give my hand to someone! NO!" He turned and fled, sobbing. The Queen stared helplessly after him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ernest. . ."  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
Ernest finally stopped at his room, flinging himself on the bed to let his tears melt into the satin pillow and bed sheet. Luhma Klein meowed pitiably and crouched on the bed next to him, letting his fingers run through her fur. "Oh, Luhma. .my Mother wants to me to get married to someone I don't know and haven't even met yet. . ."  
  
Luhma gave a small, sympathetic meow, curling her tail around his wrist.  
  
Ernest wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "I thought that only happened to princesses, not princes. Being married away. . .have I done something wrong? Have I made her angry?" he whispered softly. "I tried so hard. ."  
  
Luhma Klein meowed sadly.  
  
"I think the Quest has something to do with the Victims. That's dangerous, and the knight's unlikely to come back, unless she gives him a Sword. . . Oh Goddess, Luhma, she's going to give him a Sword!" Ernest's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm doomed. . ."  
  
The cat snuggled next to him and mimed crouching, her paws lightly tapping the bed sheet. Ernest blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
She hunched her back, light tiptoeing.  
  
"Er, stealing? Attacking?" Luhma looked at him with exasperated eyes. "Hiding?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"You mean. . .running away?!" Ernest almost fell off the bed. "Luhma, princes aren't supposed to do that!"  
  
A derisive cat-snort.  
  
"But princes aren't supposed to be forced to marriage either," Ernest mused. He sighed. "I don't know about that, Luhma; it sounds dangerous to me. Mother will assemble the entire Palace Guard and I'll always be on the run. Then they'll find me anyway, sooner or later, so I still have to get married."  
  
She cocked her head at him. "Mrrow. . ."  
  
"You mean going to some other kingdom? I could go the Southern Kingdom, where Rei is. . ." Ernest suddenly sat up. "That's actually a good idea; Rei's Erts's friend, so he won't give me away. And I could find refuge at his palace. . Oh Luhma, it's *perfect*!" He hugged the cat, almost choking her. She futilely tried to wave him off. Ernest stood up, dumping the cat on the floor as she scowled at him. He didn't notice and instead rushed to the mirror. "As soon as Rei comes over, I'll ask him at the Jubilee, and put on my mask to sneak out. . .people at his palace might be able to recognize my face, you know, and I don't want to live out the rest of my life as a solitary hermit. .though that seems to be what the Goddess has planned for me."  
  
Luhma shook her head sadly. He pulled open his drawer and took out a wooden black mask, well-polished and contoured to fit his face, with a curve on the bottom to reveal his mouth and chin. "I want to say farewell to my brother first, though," Erts murmured as he ran a finger along the fine edges of the mask. "I'll miss him a lot." So much that I'm not so sure about this idea anymore. .   
  
The cat suddenly turned to rush through the door. Ernest, surprised, dropped the mask back in the drawer and rushed after her. "Luhma, wait!" She bolted down the corridor, causing some servants to almost drop their trays in astonishment at seeing a cat. Ernest finally stopped when he realized her destination. "Not down to the town again. . ." Groaning, he headed back and grabbed his mask, tucking it in his shirt. "Now I have to search around for the whole day when I could be practicing magic. ."  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
The market square was filled with people, mostly merchants and gypsies who had just gotten wind of the Golden Jubilee and hurried to prepare shop for the swarm of people who would arrive. Already the capital was drawing neighbors from around, who hurried in to get good seats for the festival and grab a room at the nearby inns. Ernest navigated his way through the throng, stopping to hear snatches of the latest intrigue.  
  
"I heard the Crown Prince is giving up the throne for marriage!"  
  
"Oh, such b**s***! The Crown Prince obviously isn't the architect of this idea. It's got to be the Queen. . ."  
  
"Goddess, I almost feel sorry for the poor boy, being married off at such a tender young age. . ."  
  
"Young?! Fifteen young? Why, my own daughter. . ."  
  
And so on and so on. Ernest was glad he had his mask on, or everyone could see his face as beet red as the afternoon sun, surrounded by such vulgar language. His mother had always taught him *not* to be quite so impolite, but use diplomacy to settle what otherwise would be settled with heavy fists. He searched high and low for Luhma Klein, until he felt like using some colorful language himself to describe his frustration.  
  
At last he decided to stop at the inn for a drink. Going in, he saw that there was more people than usual there, mostly men clustered around. . .whoever he was. Obviously a new town braggart. Ernest distanced himself a goodly bit away so as not to attract unwanted attention, and greeted the innkeeper's son, Rioroute Vilgyna. Rio winked at him with an ease Ernest was envious of. "Yuki!" (using the name Ernest had given him, because of his pale white hands, so very uncommon in the commonfolk) "It's good to see you! Been quite some time, actually. How's it been?" He handed Ernest a glass of water, knowing the boy's aversion to beer and sweetened drinks.  
  
"It's been fine, Rio," Ernest said, smiling. He took a sip. "Have you seen my cat?"  
  
"Eh? Oh, your cat!" Rio scratched his head. "The man over there is holding it, I believe. Right there, middle of the crowd. See him? He's the one with the green hair and queer earring. Heard he's the favorite for the joust."  
  
"The joust?" Ernest sat up, alarmed. Why's Mother holding a joust when she could just give the Sword to someone she likes?!  
  
"Haven't you heard? The Queen's holding a tournament, the prize being a Sword of the Goddess and a quest to drive back the Victims who have been taunting our borders." His voice lowered slightly, and the boy leaned forward. "The rumors are that the Prince's hand in marriage will be given to the knight who fulfills the quest. Quite the catch, hm?"  
  
"Quite the catch?!" Ernest looked at him, shocked. "I mean, who would want to marry a boy –"  
  
"A Prince, you mean," Rio laughed. "I've heard he's stunningly beautiful, but that's just talk. He's probably quite ugly, from what I deduced. After all, no one's ever seen his face out here! Got to be deformed for hiding in seclusion like a hermit."  
  
"Maybe he just wants to stay in the Palace," Ernest said defensively. "Maybe the Queen won't let him out."  
  
"Ah now, that's pulling on strings."  
  
Ernest got up stiffly. I can't stay here much longer. . "Well, thanks for telling me about Luhma now, Rio."  
  
Rio shrugged. "It's nothing, Yuki. Say, are you any good with magic?"  
  
Ernest stopped, surprised. "How did you know that, Rio?"  
  
"Just an innocent little question," Rio grinned. "Because that knight over there is looking for people to join his little group, and someone with magic would be welcomed."  
  
"I'll. . .think of it," Ernest said quickly, anxious to get his cat back. He couldn't even imagine mixing with such rabble, much less joining some suicidal group to destroy Victims. "Excuse me?"  
  
The men stopped talking, and turned to look at him. Ernest felt his cheeks flush at the heated looks, and he struggled to hold his composure and look around. His gaze met with the green-haired one's, and his heart skipped a beat. Jade eyes bore into him, stripping him of his disguise, taunting his thin fabrication. Suddenly he felt terribly flustered, and he wrenched his eyes away. "Excuse me, good sirs, I've lost my cat –"  
  
"Good sirs?!" The nearest man guffawed. "Oh come now, where'd such a mannered pretty boy like you come from?"  
  
Ernest flushed. "I. . .it's none of your business!"  
  
"I'm a lonely man –" His rough, calloused hand tried to paw the front of the boy's shirt, and Ernest backed away, frightened.  
  
"Leave him alone, Cale," the green-haired boy said evenly. The man named Cale shrugged and shut up. The boy leaned forward, and Ernest started in surprise. Only a boy my age, not a man! What am I so scared for?! Silly dunce! "Looking for your cat, aren't you? A tabby, real mean one?"  
  
"Sounds like Luhma Klein," Ernest murmured, still refusing to meet his gaze. The boy smiled at him.  
  
"She's on the roof right now, I believe," he said. Ernest sighed in disappointment. I'll have to use magic then, to get that ridiculous cat off! The boy turned to him, and their eyes met for a second time, causing Ernest to feel shivers run down his spine. "Do you need some help to get her?"  
  
"Hm? Oh no, that's quite alright," Ernest said hastily as he turned to leave. "Thank you for your offer, but I can get her off." He quickly rushed out the door.  
  
The boy turned to a girl with a hood draped over her head and a cape. "Strange, wasn't he?"  
  
Her eyes glowed from the depths of darkness inside the hood. "Aye, strange. I believe. . .this will need some investigating, Gareas. He may be more than he seems." She stood up and walked out. Gareas hesitated, but went after her to catcalls from his camaderie.  
  
Outside, Ernest stood at a 45-degree angle to the wall of the inn, exasperated with his hands on his hips. "Come down, you maddening. . .oh goddess!" Muttering to himself, he raised his hands. "If you don't come down right now Luhma, I'm going to cast a spell!"  
  
Luhma meowed at him from the roof and flicked her tail.  
  
"This isn't a game!" Ernest snapped. "Alright, you asked for it!" He suddenly cast a glowing green web at her, trapping the cat in mesh and dragging her down. To an outsider it would have seemed as if something indiscernible pulled the yowling cat into his waiting arms.  
  
But not if that outsider was Teela Zain Elmes.  
  
Ernest scolded the tabby as he cooed to her at the same time. "Honestly, you had me worried, prancing about on the roof. . .it *is* twenty feet from the ground, you know. ."  
  
"That was quite an interesting display," a voice behind him suddenly spoke. Ernest whirled around, breath caught at his throat. The face of the green-haired boy smiled at him.  
  
"Hey there, sorry if I surprised you," the boy said easily. He stuck out a hand. "My name's Gareas Elidd, but everyone calls me Garu. Yours?"  
  
". .They call me Yuki around here," Ernest said softly. He felt an electric tingle rush through his fingers and up his arm as he shook hands with Gareas. "Are you new around here?"  
  
Yuki, the ancient word for Snow. How fitting."Yeah, I'm from the Northern Lands, here for the Golden Jubilee," Gareas said readily. "What about you?"  
  
"I. .I'm here for it too," Ernest lied. Luhma shifted, bored, inside his arms as he couldn't help but stare at Garu, speechless. Luhma, I think you got my tongue. "So, um. .hoping to try for the quest?"  
  
"Yeah, though I'm more interested in the Sword we're supposed to get," Gareas said, winking at him. "But don't tell anyone else that – I'm supposed to be gallantly rushing forward to defend the Kingdom from evil Victim invaders."  
  
Ernest couldn't help but laugh. "I can't imagine anyone really doing that!"  
  
"Well, that's true," Gareas admitted. "So I'm looking for people to join with me, since I doubt if one man can throw off all the Victims." He looked intensely at Ernest, trapping the boy under his gaze. "Are you available? Sorcerers are well received."  
  
"I. . .I. . .don't really know," Ernest murmured helplessly. "Maybe, Gareas. I'll tell you when we meet again." Then he vanished into the crowd, leaving Gareas staring after him.  
  
Teela drifted next to him. Gareas turned to look at her, not bothering to wonder how she mysteriously appeared from place to place. "Well? What's your assessment?"  
  
Teela's hand fingered her sword at her side. "He's not telling us something, Garu," she said quietly. "But he's been touched and accepted by the Goddess, and there is something very unique about him."  
  
Gareas looked after him, and his thoughts were not of the Goddess's acceptance. I hope we meet again, Yuki. . . 


End file.
